Frye, Nathan, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1851-52, this Italianate mansion at 166 North Main Street in Andover was the home of Nathan Frye (1808-1894), a manufacturer. Frye became president of the Marland Manufacturing Co. after founder Abraham Marland died in 1849 and ran the company for nearly 30 years before selling the Marland Mills in 1879. The house stood next to the mills on land that once covered several acres. It has two and a half stories, an F-shaped plan, a gable roof with pedimented ends, corner quoins, tall windows with bracketed sills and cornices, and a corner porch with Ionic columns. One- and two-story gabled wings were added. The building later became commercial and office space, and additions and renovations in the late twentieth century altered parts of it, including a porch. It was listed for its association with Frye and as an early, well-executed example of Italianate design in the town.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its original occupant, Nathan Frye, who led the Marland Manufacturing Co., one of Andover's major mills, and as a well-executed early example of Italianate design in the town. The nomination states that it retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82004824, listed June 10, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 166 N. Main St., Andover |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | June 10, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004824 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; converted to commercial/office use about the 1970s, with late 20th-century commercial renovation including alteration of a one-story porch on a wing. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.66166, -71.14450 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82004824.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6969065
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.